Those involved in the service and construction industries are frequently required to deliver ladders and other long objects, such as long boards, pipe and the like to a work site. Service personnel often work alone and as a result, the task of moving long heavy ladders, pipe, and other awkward elongate material must be undertaken by one person. Even when there are several people on the same work site, the task of transporting elongate material may fall to a single individual. Frequently, the elongate material must be removed from a roof or side rack of a vehicle, which is a difficult task in itself.
Not only is the task of moving long heavy objects difficult, injuries occur when one strains to obtain and maintain control of a long heavy object. It would be desirable therefore to provide a device which will simplify the transporting of long heavy objects.
The fire fighting industry has a great need for a transportation aid. A fire crew called to a large fire is often blocked from parking near the area by earlier arriving vehicles. The fire fighters are then required to transport heavy equipment, including ladders, to the scene while wearing heavy protective clothing.
Also, every piece of equipment to be transported to a fire must be carried on the fire truck. Preferably, the truck carries every piece of equipment that the fire fighters may need, and unfortunately, many pieces that may not be needed for any particular emergency. For all practical purposes, there is no space on a fire truck for another piece of equipment. It would therefore be further desirable to provide a transporting device which would collapse to occupy as little space as possible so as to be readily transportable along with the ladder or other elongate material on an emergency vehicle or fire truck.